The Price of Forgiveness
by Riley Wolfe
Summary: Three years after Zeref is defeated and END destroyed half of Fairy Tail, Lucy is standing at cliff, watching the ocean. The very person who caused her so much pain appears to her, asking for forgiveness, and confessing to her. Will she forgive him, or is the pain too much to bear? (Rated T for violence)
1. Bad Ending

_There she is. It's now or never. I have to tell her how I feel._

A boy, now a young man, left the shelter of the woods he had been walking through to approach a young woman, who was standing by the cliff-side just beyond the forest. He cleared his throat, gaining her attention.

"Hello Lucy. It's been a long time."

She turned to face him, surprise evident on her face, mixed with a hint of fear.

"Natsu…"

The man, Natsu, stayed where he was a few yards away. He didn't want to scare her more than he already had. He knew there was a slim chance she would forgive him, after all he had done at the hands of Zeref, but he still had to tell her how he felt, now that he was finally free to do so.

"I have some things I need to tell you. And one thing is more important. Most important actually."

Lucy hesitated. She wasn't sure if she wanted to hear what this murderer had to say.

"W-what could you possibly have to say that I haven't already heard? That you're sorry? Please. You…. Killed…. MIRA! And Laxus! You tore him apart, literally! Gray's hand still haunts him, even after all these years…"

She knew she should've stopped, should've gotten as far away from him as she could, but something about seeing her ex-partner who had turned against his family, the man who had held her heart…. She just had to have the answers that eluded her for the last three years.

"I'll probably regret this, but can you just tell me why? Why did you attack us? Why did you murder your friends? Why didn't you stop? Or care? You just laughed…"

There were tears streaming down one side of her face, the other side hidden by hair, as Natsu noted when she turned to face him during her rant. He sighed and hung his head.

"Lucy… I am truly sorry for my actions. I will answer your questions, but to answer them, you must listen to what I have to say. Will you please listen to me? I have quite the tale to tell you."

Lucy nodded. The demon boy sat down where he was, after pulling a small leather-bound book from his pocket. The woman gasped as recognition flooded her mind. That was the Book of END, the book that destroyed her world. Natsu sighed and looked at her, and for the first time since he arrived, she didn't want to kill him. It was the look of pure torture in his eyes, the unadulterated look of pain from them that no one could fake.

"Where to begin… Well I guess the beginning is a good start. Lucy, I have been in love with you since that first Rainbow Sakura Blossom Festival, where you were sick."

She gasped. All this time, the man she had fallen in love with had loved her. How ironic.

"I loved you, and I still do, but I am not who you think I am. I am the demon known as END. I've watched you through the years, laughing and crying and fighting. And I have come to the conclusion that you are the most beautiful creature to walk the earth.

"But I know you loved another, in a sense. You loved Natsu Dragneel, not me, Ethereous Natsu Dragneel. Hell, you didn't even know I was there. That's right, this entire time, I have been awake inside Natsu. Think of it like a person having multiple personalities, and one personality has no clue the other exists, while the other is sentient the entire time, but unable to emerge. That was what it was like. Every now and then, I would gain some control of this body, and I could influence whatever actions Natsu would do. The Sakura tree in the boat? That was me."

Lucy couldn't believe what she was hearing! All this time, END had been there inside Natsu, just waiting to come out? And he had fallen in love with her?! But then why was he here now, and not her Natsu? Looking closer at the pink haired man in front of her, she noticed a few things were different. For starters, the precious scarf that his father, Igneel, had given him wasn't around his neck. Instead, it was wrapped around his waist like a belt. Also, his hair was combed back, tamed, instead of being in the unruly spikes it normally was in. Lastly, his eyes. They were more of a green than the normal onyx she was used to.

One of his hands went up to run his fingers through his hair, disheveling it a little. He looked down as he began to speak again.

"All through this body's life, I have been unable to ever fully have control. It's all because of this damned book! This book is the cause of all the trouble… You see, until someone holding the book, who had physical contact with this body, commanded me to take control, I was left in the passenger seat. It was a flaw, in my opinion, of Zeref's. I am his demon, and this is not my natural body. I was placed in here, with the sole purpose of killing Zeref when the time came, and to destroy anyone who got in the way. I am truly sorry for the pain I caused on that fateful day. Until it was over, I was under the control of Zeref.

"Something I don't know if you realized is, whoever holds this book, after I have gained control of this body, has control of me. I have to obey, no matter what, because I am a good little demon…"

END spat out the last few words with as much venom as he could, making it obvious he didn't enjoy being someone's puppet.

"They were my friends, as well as Natsu's. I still view them as family. When I was commanded to take control of this body, I thought I would be free of the feeling of being trapped, unable to control what was happening, but then Zeref, my own brother!, commanded me to kill any of you who got close while he was preparing the ceremony… I had no control at all of my actions. I am so terribly sorry for what I did, to you all.

"I am still the man you know. I am still Natsu. When I took control of this body, the personality of Natsu was absorbed into me, so I am him still. As much as I hate to say it, I am still the Natsu you fell in love with. Just with me here as well now…"

Natsu gripped the evil book in his hands tightly and closed his eyes. He extended one hand, the book held outstretched, and breathed.

"Here. I place my life in your hands. I ask for your forgiveness, but I don't expect to get it. Lucy, you are the one person I would ever trust with my life. I ask for mercy, and that one day we can be friends again. Till then I will be your slave, or just gone, or you can choose to kill me right now. You could have me jump over the edge, order me to land on my head on the rocks at the bottom. I just hope you don't because I love you. Lucy, I love you. And I accept any choice you choose. My life and will are yours to command."

Lucy took the book from the demon man in front of her. She could feel the power coursing just under it's cover. She looked at him, END, and spoke for the first time since he began his story.

"Is there anything you want? Before I choose what to do with you? A last wish, if you will."

"I want... to feel your kiss... just once..."

Lucy stood there for a moment or two, contemplating her options. She was no longer scared of the man in front of her, not now that she held complete control of him. She gave one single nod before closing the distance between them. END closed his eyes, waiting for what he had only ever imagined.

The moment their lips touched was pure bliss. Neither could have imagined a better feeling. Lucy reveling in the warmth of his lips, unable to compare it to all her past imaginations. END could not remember ever feeling anything so soft as her lips. Both wanted this moment to last.

Just as he was about to bring a hand up to cup her face, he gasped and pulled back at the cold burning sensation coming from his chest. Looking down revealed why his heart hurt so, and made it hurt even more. Lucy had stabbed him with a knife she had hidden in her sleeve. As he stared at the gleaming metal protruding from his chest, she twisted it violently. He cried out and collapsed, unable to comprehend what he was seeing.

Lucy had stabbed him, through the heart figuratively and literally. He could barely breathe now, blood pulsing out of the wound past the blade. His vision blurred and he looked up at the blonde. The wind blew and lifted her hair away from her face, revealing why tears hadn't fallen from that side earlier. Her left eye was missing, a jagged scar all that was left, from that horrendous battle that cost so many so much, reminding him of the moment when he had given her that scar.

As the light faded from END's eyes, Lucy looked down at his body. She refused to allow herself to cry, not for a demon. Against her will though, a single tear escaped for the boy inside the demon who she had loved and lost along with half her guild three years before. Bringing a hand up to wipe the salty droplet away, she whispered softly to him.

"I simply could not forgive you..."

* * *

 **Oheyo minna...**

 **I did bad...**

 **I am so sorry….. I asked my bf if i should end this with a good ending, where lucy tells END no one should ever control another person and then throws the book over the edge into the ocean, or if it should be a bad ending where she kills Natsu. you can guess which ending he chose…**

 **I have to say, i had fun writing this. Which is scary and even my bf didn't expect that ending from me, seeing as I am the biggest Natsu lover ever. Like me and him have an agreement that if Elsa and Natsu were ever real, we both are fine with one leaving the other for their respective animated love. So its really odd for me, a Natsu lover, and a Nalu fanatic, to have Lucy kill Natsu.**

 **I do have to say, I wanted something different than the cliche END/Lucy stories out there. Normally its END kills Lucy.**

 **I MAY (highly doubtful) write an alternate ending for this story. it all depends on what you all want.**

 **In other news, I'm sorry, but I am not going to continue In the eye of the Beholder, like i said i would. I have decided to keep that a one shot, like I originally intended it to be.**

 **-b**


	2. Good Ending

_There she is. It's now or never. I have to tell her how I feel._

A boy, now a young man, left the shelter of the woods he had been walking through to approach a young woman, who was standing by the cliff-side just beyond the forest. He cleared his throat, gaining her attention.

"Hello Lucy. It's been a long time."

She turned to face him, surprise evident on her face, mixed with a hint of fear.

"Natsu…"

The man, Natsu, stayed where he was a few yards away. He didn't want to scare her more than he already had. He knew there was a slim chance she would forgive him, after all he had done at the hands of Zeref, but he still had to tell her how he felt, now that he was finally free to do so.

"I have some things I need to tell you. And one thing is more important. Most important actually."

Lucy hesitated. She wasn't sure if she wanted to hear what this murderer had to say.

"W-what could you possibly have to say that I haven't already heard? That you're sorry? Please. You…. Killed…. MIRA! And Laxus! You tore him apart, literally! Gray's hand still haunts him, even after all these years…"

She knew she should've stopped, should've gotten as far away from him as she could, but something about seeing her ex-partner who had turned against his family, the man who had held her heart…. She just had to have the answers that eluded her for the last three years.

"I'll probably regret this, but can you just tell me why? Why did you attack us? Why did you murder your friends? Why didn't you stop? Or care? You just laughed…"

There were tears streaming down one side of her face, the other side hidden by hair, as Natsu noted when she turned to face him during her rant. He sighed and hung his head.

"Lucy… I am truly sorry for my actions. I will answer your questions, but to answer them, you must listen to what I have to say. Will you please listen to me? I have quite the tale to tell you."

Lucy nodded. The demon boy sat down where he was, after pulling a small leather-bound book from his pocket. The woman gasped as recognition flooded her mind. That was the Book of END, the book that destroyed her world. Natsu sighed and looked at her, and for the first time since he arrived, she didn't want to kill him. It was the look of pure torture in his eyes, the unadulterated look of pain from them that no one could fake.

"Where to begin… Well I guess the beginning is a good start. Lucy, I have been in love with you since that first Rainbow Sakura Blossom Festival, where you were sick."

She gasped. All this time, the man she had fallen in love with had loved her. How ironic.

"I loved you, and I still do, but I am not who you think I am. I am the demon known as END. I've watched you through the years, laughing and crying and fighting. And I have come to the conclusion that you are the most beautiful creature to walk the earth.

"But I know you loved another, in a sense. You loved Natsu Dragneel, not me, Ethereous Natsu Dragneel. Hell, you didn't even know I was there. That's right, this entire time, I have been awake inside Natsu. Think of it like a person having multiple personalities, and one personality has no clue the other exists, while the other is sentient the entire time, but unable to emerge. That was what it was like. Every now and then, I would gain some control of this body, and I could influence whatever actions Natsu would do. The Sakura tree in the boat? That was me."

Lucy couldn't believe what she was hearing! All this time, END had been there inside Natsu, just waiting to come out? And he had fallen in love with her?! But then why was he here now, and not her Natsu? Looking closer at the pink haired man in front of her, she noticed a few things were different. For starters, the precious scarf that his father, Igneel, had given him wasn't around his neck. Instead, it was wrapped around his waist like a belt. Also, his hair was combed back, tamed, instead of being in the unruly spikes it normally was in. Lastly, his eyes. They were more of a green than the normal onyx she was used to.

One of his hands went up to run his fingers through his hair, disheveling it a little. He looked down as he began to speak again.

"All through this body's life, I have been unable to ever fully have control. It's all because of this damned book! This book is the cause of all the trouble… You see, until someone holding the book, who had physical contact with this body, commanded me to take control, I was left in the passenger seat. It was a flaw, in my opinion, of Zeref's. I am his demon, and this is not my natural body. I was placed in here, with the sole purpose of killing Zeref when the time came, and to destroy anyone who got in the way. I am truly sorry for the pain I caused on that fateful day. Until it was over, I was under the control of Zeref.

"Something I don't know if you realized is, whoever holds this book, after I have gained control of this body, has control of me. I have to obey, no matter what, because I am a good little demon…"

END spat out the last few words with as much venom as he could, making it obvious he didn't enjoy being someone's puppet.

"They were my friends, as well as Natsu's. I still view them as family. When I was commanded to take control of this body, I thought I would be free of the feeling of being trapped, unable to control what was happening, but then Zeref, my own brother!, commanded me to kill any of you who got close while he was preparing the ceremony… I had no control at all of my actions. I am so terribly sorry for what I did, to you all.

"I am still the man you know. I am still Natsu. When I took control of this body, the personality of Natsu was absorbed into me, so I am him still. As much as I hate to say it, I am still the Natsu you fell in love with. Just with me here as well now…"

Natsu gripped the evil book in his hands tightly and closed his eyes. He extended one hand, the book held outstretched, and breathed.

"Here. I place my life in your hands. I ask for your forgiveness, but I don't expect to get it. Lucy, you are the one person I would ever trust with my life. I ask for mercy, and that one day we can be friends again. Till then I will be your slave, or just gone, or you can choose to kill me right now. You could have me jump over the edge, order me to land on my head on the rocks at the bottom. I just hope you don't because I love you. Lucy, I love you. And I accept any choice you choose. My life and will are yours to command."

Lucy took the book from the demon man in front of her. She could feel the power coursing just under it's cover. She looked at him, END, and spoke for the first time since he began his story.

"Is there anything you want? Before I choose what to do with you? A last wish, if you will."

"I want... to feel your kiss... just once..."

Lucy stood there for a moment or two, contemplating her options. She was no longer scared of the man in front of her, not now that she held complete control of him. She gave one single nod before closing the distance between them. END closed his eyes, waiting for what he had only ever imagined.

The moment their lips touched was pure bliss. Neither could have imagined a better feeling. Lucy, reveling in the warmth of his lips, unable to compare it to all her past imaginations. END could not remember ever feeling anything so soft as her lips. Both wanted this moment to last.

In a moment of boldness, END reached up a hand and cupped Lucy's face. He felt her freeze for a moment, but then, to his surprise, she leaned into his hand. Then she did something that surprised him even more: she gripped his vest and pulled him closer, breaking the kiss. END stood there, hugging the girl of his dreams, and nightmares, only moving when he felt the almost imperceptible tremors running through her frame, hearing the tiny whimpers that she tried to hide by burying her face in his shoulder. Guilt flooded through him yet again and he wrapped his arms around her tighter.

Together they stood there like that, just two figures holding each other. When they did break apart, END's arms stiff, Lucy's eyes puffy, they just stepped back and looked at each other.

"So. Should I call you END, or E-N-D, or… Natsu? If we are going to try to work this out, I need to know what to call you."

There was slight hesitation when she said "Natsu," and while he would love for her to call him that again, he knew that was something he couldn't ask for. He had to earn it.

"Call me… Flame. For now. Because I am not END anymore, and I'm not Natsu anymore, though I hope to one day earn that name again. For now I am Flame."

The blonde nodded, and for the first time since it was handed to her, looked down at the book in her hand.

"Will you die… if I destroy this?"

Flame's eyes widened, and after a beat, he shook his head.

"I shouldn't. Either you remain in "control" of me, or I go back to being in control of myself."

Lucy sighed and tucked the book into her bag.

"Ok. Well Na- Flame. Let's go. You need to see where you're sleeping…"


End file.
